The present invention relates to a conveyor belt for conveyor systems adapted to circulate through processing apparatus.
For processing foods by quick freezing with a freezer, the processing chamber as indicated at 10 in FIG. 1 is usually equipped with a conveyor system having a conveyor belt. The belt comprises a spirally ascending conveyor section 32 and a spirally descending conveyor section 34 which are connected into an endless form at the upper end of the ascending path and at the lower end of the descending path so that articles can be passed through the processing chamber 10 over a sufficient period of time.
As shown in FIG. 7, the conveyor belt heretofore used for such conveyor systems comprises an endless chain 30 extending along the path of transport, support bars 36 arranged on the chain 30 at given spacing and each attached at its one end to the chain 30, and rails 37 provided along the path and supporting the opposite ends of the bars 36 thereon.
At the corner portions of the path, the support bars 36 are spread out into the shape of a fan, forming enlarged spaces 50 between the bars 36 and entailing the likelihood that loose articles on the belt will fall off. Furthermore the load of an article during transport acts concentrically on the support bars 36 which carry the article and is not supported by adjacent bars, so that the support bars which are subjected to great load are liable to bend. Thus the conventional belt involves various problems.